Tuesday, 14 July 2015

Walt Disney Pictures has always been everyone's favorite. With a host of inspiring animated movies, Disney has been a darling for kids and even oldies like us.

And then, this famous brand came up with 'Frozen'. This is one of the best animated flick I have ever seen.

Fairy tales aren't new. But what Frozen, the movie, has portrayed is worth a standing ovation. Elsa, the lead character, teaches us how to overcome age old social bondages an follow our heart. 'If you are never yourself, you are never YOU' - was the clear message.

Source: Vanity Fair

Creating ice is Elsa's talent. But, it is seen as a curse and she has to hide it from the world. The song, 'Let It Go', in the movie marks her rebellion and finding herself afresh. Anna, on the other hand, is the funny, happy-go-lucky sister who cares about Elsa a lot. She is brave, courageous and loves love.

While Elsa finds a way to show her act of true love through her sister, Anna learns a few worldly ways from her. That suffices what both were lagging behind in.

Source: Arts.Mic

While I would rather not talk about the male characters, I would definitely love to mention about Olaf (which literally means ancestral heritage) - Elsa's creation, the snowman, and probably the best part of the movie.

Olaf was created to portray the innocence of Elsa's powers. The little snowman is a part of her and Anna's beautiful childhood. Though his coming to life was completely accidental, he is the sole broken bridge that can bring the sisters together, kind of. He is a memory of the picture-perfect springtime of their lives.

Monday, 13 July 2015

It’s a machine life, this present one. Sometimes, we are more dependent on our phone than on anything else. Technology has got the better of us regardless of our age, sex, ethnicity or financial status. Here’s a little picture of how more and more people are drooling over smartphones today:

Source: Brian Barela

Of course, these devices have made life a lot easier. But, because humankind has become, sort of, addicted to the device, there are a lot of things that are on the brink of getting wiped out for good. As of now, we’ll focus on the things that are paper related, like:

#1. A World Atlas Book:

There was a time when buying a big, fat Atlas book was a fun thing. But, today, it’s a reluctant venture. Maps are obsolete. There’s GPS in our phones to compensate. Does anybody buy this item now? Guess none.

Source: Ocean

#2. Newspaper:

The idiot box has marred its glory somewhat. But, with the advent of this smaller idiot box, newspapers have lost their charm altogether. Today, people hunt for news online. And, why waste time reading text when everything is available in video platforms? Take a look at this:

Source: Changing Journalism

#3. A Dictionary:
Is the fat book eating up space in your residence? Throw it away, for you don’t need it anymore. ‘Your phone. The Internet. Google. Define.’ Need I say more?

Source: Tommie Media

#4. An Encyclopedia:

Encyclopedia Britannica has been already included in the list of obsolete things now. It’s sad. But then, there’s no other way out either. These once faithful partners of our study have been replaced by websites like Wikipedia. You can blame all the mobile devices that help you access any information, anytime, for anywhere.

Source: wanni.wordpres.com

#5. Diaries:

It’s getting wiped out partly because people don’t have time, and partly because there are now available free diary apps. Okay, it’s a ridiculous thing to sit down for long hours and burn your phone’s battery just for the sake of jotting down your day. But then, it’s happening.

Source: PICP Project

#6. Notebooks and writing pads:

There are the Microsoft Office apps to compensate. Create, save and edit documents digitally. Who needs to carry notebooks and writing pads, anyway?

Source: Pigje

#7. Sticky notes:

There’s a feature in your smartphone called ‘to-do.’ It works exactly like the sticky notes, and even better. You can edit it whenever necessary and save it eternally. There’s no wasting paper and there’s no ruining the stickiness with time.

Source: Marc's Blog

#8. Yellow pages:

Do you really need an offline telephone or business directory when you have a heap of online ones? Yellow pages are absolutely obsolete. There’s no denying this fact.

Source: The Telegraph

#9. Photo albums:

Once upon a time, having a photo album was a family pride. But, your smartphone lets you capture moments, store them digitally, and even share them on the social media platforms. It’s amazing. But then, photo albums are brutally out of the scene.

So, that was about the digital explosion overwhelmingly defeating some ancient paper-related products. Indeed, these ten things are no longer worth the paper they are printed on. Can you suggest more of such items?

Wednesday, 8 July 2015

Firefox 38.0.5 FINAL
for desktop has been released this year. This new build has three very interesting
updates: a Reader View feature, Pocket offline reading services integration, and
an improved Hello chat tool.

The Reader View, in
particular, is a strong competition to Apple’s Reader mode integrated in Safari.
The aim is to provide users with a distraction-free reading mode.

The function is basic –
it extracts and displays the text of an article from the website, on which it
is published, hiding all the menus, ads and distractions in the process. Yes,
UX has won yet again!

Mozilla has kept it
pretty simple and free from a feature clutter. However, you can change the font
size and type, and choose a light, dark or sepia backdrop. Most importantly,
the Reader View features the Pocket button for its read-it-later services.

Source: Connectwww.com

The
purpose:

The feature brings
about a smooth and wonderful reading experience to desktop users of Firefox. It
shows the minimalist version of a website’s UI, keeping it free from the
cacophony of annoying ads and distracting off-canvas menus.

Does
it matter?

Of course, yes! Who
would not love such an amazing reading experience? And, from a point of view of
engaging a viewer, this is an awesome feature. Informative and interesting
content matters. But, more than that, a reader’s experience is of more value.

Further, from an SEO
point of view, this is definitely going to make a viewer stay for a longer time
on websites. Better thank Mozilla for this.

When
does it show?

No, you will not see it
if you are reading this post. Neither will you get it if you have landed on the
home page of a website. However, if you visit a single page or a single post,
the feature pops up on the address bar near the reload icon in the form of a
tiny book icon.

Source: TechDelve

Click on it to enter
the Reader View and bingo! You’re now viewing a page free of ads, menus, social
share buttons, header, footer, sidebars and even the comment section! Yes, this
feature has been designed for readers out-and-out. Of course, you can revert to
the original look anytime!

It’s
customizable!

Once you have entered
the Reader View, you’ll observe a ‘Type Controls’ feature. Using this, you can
shift from Serif to Sans-serif font type, and vice versa. You can also adjust
the size of the font using the plus and minus buttons, and change the background
tone between light, dark and sepia.

Source: Nevada

Read-it-later!

The ‘Save to Pocket’
feature lets you save the article in Pocket for reading later. Of course, you
will need to have a Pocket account for using this feature. You can access saved
content from this account anytime, from any device. And, when you are done, you
can exit the Reader View with the help of the exit button.

Wrap-up:

The Reader View is not available
for a lot of websites at present. However, it is a feature most welcome! Isn’t it
making reading experience fantastic?

Sunday, 5 July 2015

Were you thinking ‘heavy’? Or planning ‘waterproof’? No matter how relieving the rain is, it can take a merciless toll on your look, leaving behind a disaster. So, here’s what to avoid and embrace this monsoon:

• Remember to keep your face extremely clean. The rain brings with it all the possibilities of bad infections. You don’t want the dirt sticking to your face before you paint it, do you?

Source: Huffington Post

• Ditch using the foundation this season, because with a heavy downpour comes humidity. Your face is going to sweat a lot, and make your foundation melt and come off very easily.

Source: CollegeTimes

• Use face powder. It will control the sweat and make your makeup last longer. Of course, you must use it in small amounts to avoid caking.

Source: Our Vanity

• Go for eye makeup, which looks subtle. Use a kohl pencil instead of a liquid one. In this way, you will save your eye makeup from getting dripped away in the rain. Also, if you want to use eye shadow, choose natural colors and powder-based products. And yes, please say no to mascara.

Source: Become Gorgeous

• Using a gloss for your lips is a bad idea when it’s raining. Opt for a matte-finish lipstick instead. Use dark colors because they last longer. To make your lip makeup more durable, apply lip balm prior to using lipstick.

Source: Top 10 Inaction

• Use a blush, which is bright-colored. While it is advisable to ditch the blush altogether, a cream-based product is better than a powder-based one.

Source: Style Ramp

• Never wear your hair open in the rain. Tie it up in a simple bun. Of course, you should avoid using hair sprays and gels if you don’t want your tresses to tangle, or your scalp to breed dandruff. Regular oiling helps in controlling frizzy hair.

Source: Medium Hairstyles Haircuts

• Finally, go for simple jewelry. Replace that choker with a light, little necklace. Wear a pair of studs instead of drops and dangles. Your ultimate aim should be to look as natural as possible.

Source: Pinterest

Yes, maintaining your makeup during monsoons can be chaotic. So, whenever you step out, always remember to carry an umbrella. It’s a big savior from the rains.